Audience

Arnold Schwarzenegger’s speech was delivered in 2004 at the Republican National Convention organized to officially nominate (for the second time) George W. Bush as the party’s candidate for the Presidential Election.

The speech was delivered in front of a live audience, including Republican Party members and the media, and was televised across the US. Consequently, the general audience was composed of both Republicans and the wider American public.

Note that parts of Schwarzenegger’s speech are targeted at non-traditional Republican voters such as immigrants; therefore, it is likely that he is relying on the speech being broadcast to reach this part of his target audience, since non-traditional voters are unlikely to attend the Republican convention. The audience at the convention appear to agree with Schwarzenegger’s words, as they constantly applaud and cheer in response to his speech.

In the speech, Schwarzenegger targets two specific categories—Americans in general and immigrants specifically: “Anyway, my fellow Americans, this is an amazing moment for me.” (ll. 11-12); “To my fellow immigrants listening tonight, I want you to know how welcome you are in this party.” (ll. 78-79)

By targeting immigrants in particular,...